It looks as if some sectors of our industry are starting to turn the corner from the depths of low returns! With tatties, milk, eggs, lamb, cereals and even maybe beef, all showing some signs of farm-gate values starting to rise a little, it gives some hope of farming returning to more normal times ahead.

So, what is causing this, albeit, slight change in fortunes for our industry? I think there can only be two reasons – one is currency, and the other is reduction in supply of all these afore mentioned commodities.

The fall in the value of sterling to where it should be is not all in our favour, but on balance it should be to our benefit more often than not.

Some costs will rise but hopefully, they will not wipe out the gains from a weaker currency. Realistically we should be having a greater benefit from sterling's weakness, but the reason for that is the supermarkets race to beat each other at supplying the cheapest possible food to their consumers.

It is a constant war by all the supermarkets to pay less for what they buy from either the manufacturer or the processor packer. They in turn constantly want to pay the primary producer less and the only time they are in the driving seat is when the product is in short supply. So, what do we do as farmers, when we are receiving an adequate return for our produce? Yes, we try our best to produce more and the supply-demand cycle starts all over again!

The reduced volume of potatoes and milk are certainly the biggest factor to cause change in their values. Sadly, the milk pain has not come to a satisfactory conclusion for all milk producers because of the division within the industry due to those on supermarket contracts and the less fortunate who have to rely on the market for their returns.

The catalyst for this was the demise of the Milk Boards, followed by the penny-more brigade. Finding a formula that will alleviate this divide in producer returns is going to be a difficult one to solve, with the main reason being that milk is a perishable product and secondly milk contracts are too much constructed in favour of the processor packer.

The exit doors need to be much shorter in order to bring more competition into the market for milk. Having said that, I am afraid the number of people leaving the milk industry is going to continue. The unstoppable decline will only slow when returns give an adequate reward for all the effort that goes into milking cows.

Dispersals are still ongoing, both publicly and silent, which was how an auctioneer described the high number of both dairy and beef going through cast auction rings recently.

The nervousness in the beef sector is certainly much in the minds of finishers who will take a long time to forget the damage done to margins in the early part of this year and the fear that it will be repeated again in the spring of 2017.

Unfortunately, the situation is such, that I do not think anyone has a clue as to what will happen next year. Having said that there are a few aspects in place now that may prevent a repeat of the pain in 2016. One is currency, and the other is that there will be less cattle in courts come next spring, particularly in the North-east because of the weight reduction, down to 400kg maximum weight being paid, at the largest plant in that area.

That will reduce the volume of beef coming on to the market as most abattoirs are already at that limit, or will be, in the not too distant future. A reliable informant tells me that it could be a reduction of at least 7% less meat at the end of the day from the same headage, compared to, say, 12 months ago.

I reckon this reduced carcase weight was having an affect at the latest Stirling Bull Sales where the Charolais breed had a tough time. Hopefully, it is only a temporary blip because we do need the breed as a terminal sire.

Maybe Charolais breeders should cast their minds back to what Kersnowe Festival looked like and use him as their true type model on which to base their breeding program! Finishers of Charolais cross-cattle need to change their feeding diets in order to meet the specs that the customers of today demand.

The days of 450 to 500kg carcases are gone, not only for the current market but much more importantly, for when the door opens to all and sundry from around the world, following Brexit. As I have said before, there will have to be dramatic changes in beef production if we are to have any hope of competing with the onslaught that will hit UK shores following Westminster's desire to open the flood gates to all and sundry so long as it is cheap.

Now to the down side. We blamed Ireland for having a large part to play in the down-turn of beef values this spring. Today there are 132,000 more beef cattle in southern Ireland than there was 12 months ago. Ireland's beef farmers are facing a crisis and the one and only thing that is preventing the same thing from happening here is currency. That 15% drop in Sterling's value is all that is between us and another period of severe pain. We beef farmers need to pray and hope that the value of Sterling stays where it is for a long, long time.

I have asked the question before: could your business survive without BPS support? (By the way we got our loan a few days ago.) Most of my peers say they could not, without major changes to how they farm. My colleague, Richard Wright last week confirmed my fears for some time that the day of change is only a short time away and will be accelerated by Brexit.

So, where do we look for precedent? New Zealand is the obvious place when, in 1986 (I think) all farming support was terminated over-night, followed by some horrendous stories of hardship in every farming sector. Hopefully, we can find out some of the lessons our farming colleagues learned down-under, over the next few years that will help us face the same challenges.

I have a farming neighbour's daughter who has been living and working in NZ for some time now, and she tells me that her almost identical shopping basket for four, costs 12% more in NZ than it does here in Scotland.

The hottest topic on the planet must be Donald Trump. Back in June when we farmers were in Kansas it was also a hot topic and it has turned out that we were in the heart of Trump Country supporters. I voted by a very narrow margin to stay in EU but now that we are going out I do not have any regrets and look forward to the challenge, so I guess USA will have to rise to the challenge too...

I once stated that no one should be allowed to become an MP or a MSP until they were 40 and I still have that view and the reason is that there are too many young kids in both parliaments today with absolutely no business experience about what goes on in the real world.

They have obtained a degree, learned to talk and debate and become a politician. We certainly cannot say that about Donald Trump. Yes, he sure can talk, but you do have to admire his business success. He surely must have some kind of gift to be so successful and wealthy. In my Kansas article I told you that if Trump won, his number one advisor would be Charles Herbister which can only be good news for US farmers because Charles runs on excellent farming operation with which all of us on the group were impressed.

My late mother-in-law used to say: "If you cannot say anything good about a person do not say anything at all." It looks as if a whole raft of politicians wish they had adopted that saying, none more so than Mr Salmond, and Nicola Sturgeon.

It will be interesting to see how she handles the next time Donald visits his vast investments in Scotland. I certainly wish him well and he has health to carry out his policies, especially seeing how he deals with Mr Putin. I am sure he is mellowing already, but the world is watching with bated breath.